Natural causes or a predator? Warning: graphic photo!

[Alexandra33]

I came home to a gruesome sight two days ago....one of my tiny OEGB ladies, dead, being devoured by select few hens. All during broad daylight. My initial thought was that a hawk (predator that frequents this area most) had eliminated her, and our girls saw the leftovers as an easy meal. However, looking back on previous hawk attacks, not only was the victim eaten almost entirely (or carried off when said raptor spooked), but traumatized flock members didn't dare approach the remains. I also got to pondering; Puzzle never acted "normal." She was hatched with the tendency to suffer conniptions at random over absolutely nothing, specifically screaming/bolting full speed/flying as though her life depended on it. Feel free to challenge me on this, as I'm far from sure....but it almost seems logical that Puzzle died young from extreme stress, and then served as my Leghorns' dinner. Any thoughts? Attached photo shows damage.

~Alex

 

[aart]

OyVey! Sorry for your loss and shock.
Pretty rare for chickens to open up a dead flock member....
...my bet would be a predator got things started and the flock had some bites too.
Almost impossible to say without a witness.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

So sorry for your loss but yes it very unusual for other flock mates to kill other flock members unless they are sick or dying so I would have to say predators

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

 

[chickens really]

The way it's laying on its back looks like heart failure and then the Chickens ate her..

 

[Birdsong 82]

So sorry you had to witness any of that and for your loss. I feel like the others would be more spooked if it were a predator but I also really don’t think one would kill a flock member.

 

[sourland]

Generally when birds are killed/cannibalized by flock mates it starts with pecking at the cloaca - to me it looks like predation followed by cannibalism.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Surprised a hawk off a duck meal and that's exactly what it looked like on her back with the tasty innard bits pulled out. I would go with raptor type predator that didn't finish it's meal for some reason.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

agree with sourland.. predation then cannibalism.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Surprised a hawk off a duck meal and that's exactly what it looked like on her back with the tasty innard bits pulled out. I would go with raptor type predator that didn't finish it's meal for some reason.

Agree
There may have been a dog or something that scared it away and it didn’t take the meal with it